The House of Commons of the British Parliament has published a research briefing by Dr Patrick Butchart, a senior lecturer in law at the School of Law, Criminology and Policing. He is also an international law researcher for the House of Commons Library in the UK Parliament.
In his study, he examines calls for the seizure of Russian assets following the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which have revived longstanding legal issues that underlie fundamental principles of international law.
In recent months, there have been new discussions in the United States, the EU, and Canada about whether Russian assets should be seized or frozen. The money from seized assets could then be used to support military operations and reconstruction in Ukraine. According to research briefings, there are different opinions about the appropriateness of seizing Russian assets.
Some commentators and the European Commission argue that confiscating Russian assets lacks a clear legal basis, and therefore support a “middle-ground” approach, under which currently frozen assets are used as collateral or security to raise funds for Ukraine.
The research briefing by Dr Patrick Butchart is available on the House of Commons website.
